Marketa Vondrousova gave an honest assessment of her shock Australian Open first-round exit and blamed her preparation as a key factor in the defeat.
Vondrousova crashed out of the Australian Open following a straight-sets loss to Ukrainian opponent Dayana Yastremska. The defeat marked Vondrousova's earliest Grand Slam exit since losing in the first round of the 2020 Roland Garros.
The loss at Melbourne Park was a major disappointment for the Czech player, who won Wimbledon and reached the US Open quarter-finals in 2023, establishing herself as one of the top players on the WTA Tour.
However, Vondrousova only blamed herself when addressing her below-par performance to the Czech news outlet iDnes after the defeat against Yastremska, and the world number seven said she was not 100% fit after a recent hip injury.
"I didn’t train much before the tournament because I was injured. I think this was the key."
"I didn’t get off to the best start, I immediately lost my serve. I didn’t play well, but she didn’t give me many chances either. She played great and she deserves credit. I have to take this defeat and move on."
The warning signs were there for Vondrousova after she withdrew from the Adelaide International last week due to her ongoing hip injury.
Ultimately, the 24-year-old was not at peak performance and, even if she progressed past the first round, probably wouldn't have been sharp enough to go much further in the tournament.
However, the Czech player also explained that she was not in pain during the setback at Melbourne Park. Instead, Vondrousova believed that her build-up to the season's first Grand Slam was insufficient to prevent the early elimination.
"Nothing hurt me, but the preparation was stupid. It was probably to be expected. My lower back hurt and somehow it also reached my hip… I was sick. But now I can hardly feel it."
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